Mightier Than the Pen
by CelticKnot12
Summary: Castle finds himself in a convenience store at an inconvenient time. If he doesn't die first, Beckett is going to kill him.
1. Chapter 1

_Well, trying something new again. Hopefully the writing style does something for the story. I'm just not sure what. Don't forget to review and give me your opinion!_

When the first bullet shattered glass and Rick Castle's adrenaline spiked, he didn't feel afraid. He felt excited.

It was just like one of his novels.

The man standing in the convenience store waving a gun wore a ski mask, black shirt, and dark jeans. The florescent light glared off his eyes with a menacing glint, and Castle idly wondered if he'd done this before. He certainly looked the part.

A second shot shook him to his senses, and Castle suddenly realized he should be a little afraid.

He wondered if maybe he was but couldn't feel it. This thought was quickly dismissed as a paradox.

"I want that cash register open, now!" The handgun pointed at the shaking teenaged boy who stood behind the counter.

Castle watched from behind the shelf, muted his cell, and texted Beckett. "23rd St. robbery, 2 shots fired."

As he waited for a reply, he thought of what MacGyver would do. Had the television star ever been in a hostage situation?

The "scumbag," Castle's imagination eagerly filled in, surveyed the shocked and frightened customers. "Nobody move! Don't take one step."

It was his first time. Convenience store, by its very title, reeked of desperation. He hadn't instructed the hostages to move where he could see them. A tiny bit of blond hair stuck out the back of his mask.

Castle's phone lit up and he eagerly read his partner's response. "On our way." A second message popped up. "No heroics, writer."

The reference to the writing on his bulletproof vest stung. He let out an annoyed huff.

Masked Man turned the gun on him. "Quiet!"

Castle smiled blandly and waved his acknowledgement.

How long did it take to open a cash register, anyways?

The man with the weapon shoved it in the employee's face and asked the same thing.

The boy stated that he was nervous, he'd never been held at gunpoint before.

Castle snorted.

The robber told him to shut up or he'd blow him to kingdom come.

That reminded him of a show Alexis used to watch about a cartoon star squirrel.

The register finally opened, and the man held out a bag to fill with the money.

When the robber took off for the door, Castle didn't think. He had to stall for the cops.

"Hey!" He took a few steps forward, wondering what he was planning on doing.

He discovered that didn't matter much, though, when another bullet exploded from the chamber of the gun. It hit him, somewhere. He didn't care where, really. Everything hurt.

A sense of de ja vous encompassed him, which was strange, because he'd never been shot before.

As he passed out, he realized something: Beckett was going to kill him.


	2. Chapter 2

_Way-ow! (That's wow, with a twang for all you people who didn't understand that.) You guys are amazing reviewers! Thanks so much for all the feedback, peoples!_

_This chapter isn't as... "funny" for lack of a better word. Hopefully the next few will be. I imagine Beckett angry at Castle and Castle high on meds and kinda excited about the experience and what it'll bring to his writing will be fun to write... But that's not in this chapter. So stick around, folks!_

Beckett felt like she was having a panic attack when she got into the car, switched the lights on, and swerved onto the road in the direction of the store.

Castle was intelligent, but also borderline idiotic.

She kept that thought to herself as Esposito put calls out on the radio.

He was going to do something, she was sure of it. That was what got people killed.

When they neared the store, a loud blast echoed between sky scrapers. She slammed on the brakes and skidded wildly into an acceptable parking position. As she jumped out of the car she realized that Esposito's door had slammed while she was still driving.

He already had the guy on the ground, a gun shoved into his back and dark threats issuing from his mouth.

Ryan got out of the back seat, drew his own weapon, and headed over to where his partner held the man.

Beckett hopped over both of them and ran into the store. "Anyone hurt?" She managed to shout.

A woman mutely motioned to a pair of dark shoes jutting from an aisle.

It was Castle. She knew it was Castle. He always wore shoes like that.

An alarming amount of blood was pooling beneath him. His face was a milky white.

And he was wearing that smirk he always had when he was doing new things.

Beckett tried to ignore it as she grabbed several "I love NY" tee shirts and pressed them to his shoulder.

She heard Ryan walk in and call and ambulance. His blue eyes were wide at the sight of his friend on the ground.

He had nice eyes, she thought, and then wondered if she might be in shock.

But she was a detective. She had seen countless dead bodies, shot a few people herself, and had a best friend who spent a good portion of her day in the morgue. She refused to be in shock.

Someone handed her a first aid package. When it slid open to reveal a few pads of gauze and an ice pack, she considered laughing.

But that might worry Esposito and Ryan, and then they'd make her leave Castle.

A hand on her shoulder started pulling her away.

"No!" She shouted, not much caring who it was who had her. "I didn't laugh!"

The hand turned her around and pulled her into a hug. She caught a glimpse of dark skin before hearing Esposito ask, "Why would you laugh?"

She murmured into his leather jacket about the first aid kit. His chest rumbled with a chuckle and he squeezed her neck comfortingly.

She composed herself and turned back around, noting that paramedics had surrounded Castle and were now lifting him to a stretcher.

"He'll be okay," Ryan informed her, "he's lost a bit of blood, but the bullet went straight through and didn't do much damage."

He would be okay.

She slid to the floor numbly, then realized that her fingers were stained red. And they were shaking.

The paramedics asked if someone would like to ride with him.

Esposito cupped her elbow and pulled her back to her feet. Ryan told the guy that she would.

They didn't question it and helped her into the back of the ambulance. Castle's eyes winked open in the dim light.

Beckett wanted to slap him.


	3. Chapter 3

_Here's chapter three for y'all to feast upon! I changed the writing style up in this one a bit. I think it fits well, though, because the hectic craziness lends itself to a vague recollection. This slightly more normal style picks up with things returning from the incredibly abnormal._

_Anywho, don't forget to review, I love any and all feedback or critique you may have to give!_

When Castle opened his eyes, he saw Beckett's glaring back at him.

He wanted to tell her that he hurt, and the experience would be an amazing addition to the next Nikki Heat novel. Before he opened his mouth, however, his mind backpedaled.

Tell Beckett he was shooting her character?

Maybe when he was dosed up on pain meds.

Instead of announcing his gradually developing plotline, he managed a weak, "Hey."

She grabbed his hand in a surprising display of emotion. "Rick, you are in big trouble."

Oooh, his first name? He got a warm feeling in his stomach and moved his hand to protect it and keep it there.

...Love felt warm and sticky?

He pulled his fingers away and stared at them - red moisture coated them.

"...Huh." He wanted to squirm off of the gurney, go home, take a shot of whipped cream, and give Alexis the skyscraper snow globe she had pointed out when they paid for gas two days ago.

Instead, sleepiness flooded him and his vision grew a little fuzzy.

"Mr. Castle, we've given you some pain medication that's going to make you a little sleepy. Is there anyone we should call for you?" A paramedic loomed in his line of sight and blocked the light, giving himself a sort of halo.

" 'Lexis," he attempted to slur.

"His daughter," he heard Kate clarify.

He wanted to thank her, but he was floating away on a wave of gently jiggling Jell-O.

Where was the whipped cream?

_Nikki stood strong, arms steady as her gun pointed at the man wearing a ski mask. "You won't get away with this."_

_Cold, blue eyes laughed at her. "Maybe. Maybe not."_

_He had a partner, her mind suddenly screamed at her._

_But it was too late._

_She turned, knowing she would see a .22 aimed at her. The same unconventional weapon used in the other robberies._

_The gun discharged before she even caught a glimpse of the shooter, blasting a hot wave of adrenaline saturated blood through her body._

_She felt her heartbeat - the way, following the lead of the muscle in her chest, crimson fluid leaked from her side._

_She couldn't throw in the towel. Some aching fiber inside her longed to do so. But what about Rook?_

What about Beckett, Esposito, and Ryan?

_What?_

A heart monitor chimed, dragging him from his sleep.

He slid his eyes open, glancing up to see Alexis where Kate had been before… only they were in a hospital room now.

He smiled at Alexis, noting her tearful look as she turned her gaze to him. "Hi… what's wrong?"

"You got shot," she announced candidly.

"I noticed."

"You weren't even working with the police when it happened."

"Well, maybe I was undercover."

"A civilian? That's a lawsuit waiting to happen, paperwork or no."

Castle chuckled slightly, groaning when his shoulder jostled slightly. "Oww…"

"You just missed Gram. She went to freshen up her makeup."

"Well, then, I guess for now it's just you and me." He grinned cheekily at her as she leaned forward and rested her elbow on her knee.

"Dad…" He was surprised to see tears glistening in her eyes.

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"You could've been killed. But you weren't doing anything out of the ordinary."

"I know. It's frightening how close death can come."

"What if you take a break from shadowing Detective Beckett? Just for a few weeks."

"I have to anyways, I don't think they'll let me chase bad guys with my arm in a sling."

"Oh. Right." Alexis sniffled slightly, brushing the tears that had slipped on to her cheeks away. "I feel like an idiot."

Castle held out his good arm for a hug, ignoring the twinge it left in his opposite shoulder. He could get more medicine if he needed it.

"You're not an idiot, Alexis. There's no way you could be – you have a brilliant father."

She laughed against his shoulder, heating up the sleeve of his unflattering hospital gown. "My mother is sometimes held in question, though."

Castle massaged her back. "Ahh, she's not an idiot... she just thinks differently than we do."

Alexis leaned against him for a minute.

He held her tightly until the tug became unbearable. "Sweetheart…"

She sat up instantly, moving back into her chair. "Sorry! Did I – "

"I'm fine." Castle grinned despite the pain coursing through his shoulder. "I made a decision."

Alexis looked suspicious. "Does this have something to do with Nikki Heat?"

"What? No! …Well, yes. How did you know?"

"Dad, you just got shot. Aren't you always saying that experience is the best educator?"

"No, dear, I don't recall ever saying that, though it does sound sage."

"You aren't going to shoot her, are you? Detective Beckett will kill you."

"She doesn't even like Nikki!" Castle protested.

"It's the principle of the thing!" Alexis stated. "It was one thing when you killed Derek Storm, but Nikki is based on someone you know and love."

"Love?"

"Don't play stupid, Dad. We just established that you aren't."

"Oh yeah…"

"Oh Richard." A rich voice came from the doorway, and both Castle and Alexis looked up to see Martha, freshly applied makeup looking unusually washed out in the fluorescent lights.

"Hello, mother."

She stooped to leave a kiss on his cheek.

"Darling, really, what were you thinking, getting yourself shot?"

"Well, to be honest, I wasn't really planning on it."

"Beckett says it was your heroics that got you shot."

Castle gave a scoffing laugh. "Mother, I didn't do anything! I only tried to talk to him."

"Well, perhaps you should avoid that in the next armed robbery you're involved in."

"I'll plan on it."

"Gram, it's getting late. We should let him sleep." Alexis stood from her seat.

"What?" Castle spluttered. "I just woke up!"

"You need your rest, dear, and Alexis has school tomorrow." Martha stated.

"Can't she skip school?" Castle whimpered, taking advantage of the sympathy a hospital bed was inclined to give out.

"Dad, I have an enormous test tomorrow. I can't skip it, I've studied really hard!"

"Besides, Richard, there are other people who will want to visit you, and they'll feel uncomfortable doing it if we're here all the time."

"Sleep well." Alexis leaned to hug him and give him a peck on the cheek, accepting his own in return.

"You too, sweetheart."

He watched as his mother and daughter exited the room, flicking off a light and plunging him into an intimidating darkness, broken only by the thin line of white beneath the door and the glowing numbers on the equipment surrounding him.

He didn't want to sleep.

His head started narrating something that sounded vaguely familiar.

_Nikki stood strong…_


	4. Chapter 4

_Well, this is what happens when Castle goes stir crazy. May he never move to Alaska during the winter._

Mission retrieve laptop was a go.

Granted, it might not be wise the third day of his recovery, but he was tired of asking the nurses to do everything for him. His sense of independence was suffering.

He wiggled his way to the edge of his bed, carefully maneuvering so that the line of his IV wouldn't get in the way.

Then came the hard part. He pressed his bare feet to the cold tile floor and slowly stood. The whole task was going well until he moved to take his first step.

Black dots waltzed across his vision as the small shuffling movement pulled muscles he didn't know he had. He must have passed out, because when he woke up, Beckett, who hadn't been there before, was hovering over him worriedly and glancing over to the door every few seconds. She must have called reinforcements.

He closed his eyes again, hoping he could make the burning pain in his shoulder go away. When it didn't work, he looked up and noticed that several nurses had filled in the space around him.

One scolded him for pulling out his IV in a fall he couldn't remember, two others supported him into the bed, and another gave him an injection he hoped was for the pain.

Moments later, he found himself situated comfortably, a warmth flowing through him that he was pretty sure was from the medication.

He was feeling pretty good by the time he realized Beckett was back in the room, glaring at him.

"Hello!" He sang out happily.

She didn't reply similarly. "Castle, what were you thinking? First you get shot and then decide you don't need any help while recuperating?"

He grinned serenely. "Too much help makes Castle a bored boy."

"I'll keep that in mind." She stood to leave.

"Wait, where're you going?"

"Well, I was here to visit, but now you aren't in any condition to entertain."

Before she could take another move to leave, Castle grabbed her arm. "Why can't you entertain me?"

Kate looked at his hand for a moment. "Okay," she sat back down. "I'll stay. How do you propose I entertain a five-year-old with ADD?"

Her foot wiggled impatiently. It was kind of funny, so he laughed.

She glared.

"Umm... tell me a story." Castle suggested.

"No way. You're the story teller, not me."

"Not true," he announced. "The reader tells the story, I just fill in the details."

Her expression said she conceded, albeit grudgingly. "I don't know what to tell you a story about."

"Tell one about yourself."

"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"You didn't warn me."

She slapped his knee, making it tingle lightly.

"Okay… Once upon a time there was a girl named Kate. She liked to play outside, introduce her stuffed animals to each other, and beg her parents for a dog.

"One day, she was climbing a tree and fell down. She—"

"Try to use more colorful words." Castle advised her with a spacey smile.

"Fine. She looked down at her jeans and noticed that there was a hole in the knee. She knew that her mom would be angry—no, _furious_, Castle—when she saw that Kate had been playing outside in her nice jeans. She was so worried about her pants that she didn't realize how badly her arm hurt until she stood up.

"It hurt so badly, she wanted to run and tell her mom, but she couldn't, because she had ripped her jeans.

"When her mom came outside to work in the garden, she sneaked inside and changed her pants. But the jeans she was wearing looked so clean she didn't think her mom would believe she fell out of the tree. So she ran back outside and climbed the tree again, ignoring the _pang_ of pain in her arm.

"She jumped down carefully to avoid hurting herself again, and tried to get her pants as dirty as she could get them. Then she ran to her mom and showed her her arm.

"Joanna Beckett never knew the truth about those jeans. The end." Beckett concluded.

"What'd you do with them?" Castle questioned.

Beckett laughed. "I buried them in the yard as soon as my arm was better." She paused and the smile slowly wore off of her face. "You're the first person that I've told."

"I'm honored." Castle looked her in the eye, sincerity shining through.

Her hand went self-consciously to the ring around her neck. "Look, Castle... I want to say, I'm glad you weren't too badly hurt."

Castle held out an arm for a hug, which she hesitantly accepted. "Me too."


	5. Chapter 5

_Ready? And... plot twist! Also, the mayor is in this chapter and I didn't know if they gave him a name in the show that isn't true to life, so I looked it up on Google (oh bow to almighty Google!) and the mayor here is the real deal. Except I don't know anything about the real guy. Forgive me._

"I call."

"Call."

"Are you sure about that? I have five additional chips that say you're bluffing."

"That's just the look my medication gives me."

Castle, Montgomery, and the mayor sat around a card table that had been carefully positioned in front of the couch. This made it so that Castle could recline while playing the game.

Montgomery tossed five of his chips to the center of the table, answering the mayor's challenge with a confident eyebrow quirk.

Castle slid in his own five chips, grimacing at the slight tug on his shoulder. The mayor noticed, using the wince as a conversation opening.

"So, how's the injury doing?"

With a one-sided shrug, Castle replied, "It's healing. A couple more weeks and then comes the fun part-physical therapy."

"Ah, don't think about that right now. Focus on the good that always follows those incidents. Pampering." Montgomery set his cards down, releasing a triumphant chuckle when the mayor and Castle groaned and pushed the chips to his side of the table.

"Alexis has been great," Castle picked up as the mayor shuffled the cards. "But mother acts like the whole episode never happened."

"Some people react differently to trauma." The mayor stated. "Just give her a while."

"Well, that explains Beckett's behavior."

"What? She's been ignoring your injury?" Montgomery asked contemplatively.

"No... the opposite. She has been really nice."

"You don't like it?" The mayor asked, finally finished dealing the cards.

"No. Well, yes. No. It's just not..."

"Like Beckett?"

"Yeah." Castle concluded.

A long pause followed.

Castle tapped the mayor's chair with his big toe. "Michael, your turn."

"Right, sorry." He hastily made his move.

"You okay? You've been a bit preoccupied."

The mayor and Montgomery shared a significant glance.

Castle stared between the two of them. "Now I'm really worried."

The mayor cleared his throat, voice taking on a starched, speech-like quality. "I've recently heard some concerned citizens vocalize skepticism about your work with the NYPD."

Castle looked up in disbelief, glancing over to see Montgomery's face stoic and unsurprised. "I wasn't even shot while I was working on a case. It was a gas station holdup."

"Yes, well, I'm simply concerned that you will be injured while working with Detective Beckett and end up requiring tax payer's money for your hospital bills."

"What about all the paperwork I filled out so I could shadow Beckett? Doesn't it prevent that?"

"It makes it so you can't sue us; we still get to foot the hospital bills."

Montgomery put his cards down on the table. "I fold. I need to get going, my wife is waiting up for me."

The mayor also stood, ignoring Castle's shell shocked stare. "Effective immediately, your status as a NYPD consultant is terminated." His face was penitent as he reached over to shake Castle's hand. "My apologies, Rick."

Castle shook the hand in front of his face, more out of courtesy than in acceptance of the news he'd just been dealt. "Thanks. And I'm thinking maybe we should call off poker for a week or two. Just until I get back on my feet."

With a nod that displayed understanding of Castle's underlying aggravation, the mayor exited the room.

Montgomery stood next to the couch, an expression of remorse on his face. "Don't do this, Rick. You know I fought to keep you on the team."

"Yeah, but we both have the mayor on our side. If you were really working—"

"You know things don't work that way." Montgomery sat back down in his chair, sighing heavily. "Look, you know that as captain of the precinct, it's my job to look out for all of you. Beckett, Esposito, Ryan, _you_, Castle. And I am doing my best. Right now, I think it's best to let the news that a bestselling author got shot simmer."


	6. Chapter 6

_Wow... this took me a long time to get up. Creative juices have been running low as school nears and stress levels increase. I probably won't be posting anything for a while, but keep your eyes open all the same!_

Beckett was furious.

Captain Montgomery had made some calls that she didn't agree with before, but she had been able to respect them.

Not this time.

Castle was _her_ partner, she should have at least been consulted before they fired him. Or whatever it was you did to sack an unpaid shadow.

Instead, he had pulled her aside at the end of the workday and told her that she was going to be assigned a new partner.

Following an outburst that alerted the entire precinct to the situation, it had been suggested that she go home and read a book.

Maybe that Nikki Heat manuscript that rested on her bookcase.

But when she got into her car after an unusually frustrating elevator ride, she found her hands not steering her home, but to Castle's apartment. A brief ride later—which had been shortened by her bad case of road-rage and numerous defensive drivers—she found herself at his door.

Martha answered the bell, appraising eyes taking in her agitated appearance. "He's upset too." She stood aside to let Beckett in.

Kate found Castle in the library, a blanket draped over him and a laptop in front of him, screensaver revealing its lack of recent usage.

"Castle."

He blinked and looked over at her, suddenly noticing her appearance. "Hey."

"What're you doing?"

"Writing." His eyes drifted down to the computer, which contradictorily announced, _You should be writing._

She pushed her finger against the touch pad.

A blank document glared at her, turning the screen white.

She gave him a reproving glance. "What are you really doing?"

Castle sighed. "Wallowing in misery."

Leaning back in a seat across from him, she nodded. "Don't you want to do something about it?"

"Give me an example."

"We could find out who wanted to get rid of you. Why they wanted to get rid of you."

"It has been proposed that me being shot is a factor." Castle stated wryly, setting his computer aside.

"Yes, but why? It was purely by chance that you were there when the holdup occurred. You'd be safer with me." She felt her face color as the last sentence slipped from her mouth.

For the first time since she'd gotten there, a smirk crossed his face. "Why, Detective Beckett. You _do_ care."

She felt slight satisfaction at the response she'd managed to evoke, but her own annoyance pushed the positive feeling back down. "I'm being reassigned a partner."

Castle's jaw dropped. "Already? But… but I just got shot!"

"Not exactly the most sound excuse you've ever had." Beckett prodded. "Come on, help me figure out who's behind this."

A pregnant pause coated the room, revealing something that was somewhat frightening: Rick himself had misgivings. "What… what if they're right?" His eyes were suddenly soft and vulnerable. "What if it is too dangerous? I'm not trained to be a cop."

Kate watched him for a moment, mind searching for a way to reassure him. "Do you know what the difference in risk levels is for someone trained to be a cop and someone who isn't?"

"I'm going to assume that's a rhetorical question."

"There's no difference. The only variation is that one has danger in the description."

"However profound that is, I'm sure Google tells a different story."

"Castle."

Rick thought for a while, then grinned. "Finding a bureaucrat who wants me off the job for his own ill-gotten gain? Count me in."


	7. Chapter 7

_It's alive!_

_I am so ashamed. It took me so long to post another chapter here, and really, I have no good reason for it. Except that WIPs and I do _not_ get along, apparently. Anywho, I hope to have another chapter on here, if not soon, then not too long. And... I'll stop babbling now. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>The day that they started working to get Castle back to the precinct had been fairly unproductive. Castle was still a little weird with his pain medication, and Beckett was a little too wound up to think clearly. So instead of work their new, self-assigned case, Castle suggested that she stay for dinner and maybe a movie. She had reluctantly agreed, and before she knew it the entire Castle family was crowded around a box of pizza and watching <em>The Rear Window<em>, and she was right there in the middle of it.

Work the following day had been shockingly dull, given the new spin that had been forcefully placed on it. Her new partner, Randall Sykes, was not a new detective. His old partner had retired three weeks ago, and he had been on desk assignment until another partnership opened up. He wore a grey suit, a grey tie, grey socks, and had grey hair—not an inch of color could be found on his frame. He was neither messy nor spectacularly organized, he took his coffee black, and he didn't wear a wedding ring. Not that Beckett was interested. In fact, she would go so far as to say that she really, _really_ wasn't.

When it became apparent about halfway through the day that Montgomery wasn't going to be giving them a case—probably hoping to encourage them to get to know each other in some way—Beckett took it upon herself to look at any case reports that involved Castle, attempting to find any evidence that he may have had any enemies.

The file she found consisted of a long list of colorful but unimportant misdemeanors. She had started to think that the only encounters he'd had with the law had been on the wrong side of it until she found a very interesting restraining order. Not against Castle, but against a Marianne Christie, who had been accused of stalking and was now forced to maintain a significant distance between herself and the infamous Richard Castle at all times. At 5 o'clock she scribbled the name on a piece of paper and grabbed her coat, walking past Syke's desk and handing it to Esposito.

While waiting for the elevator reach the first floor, she pulled out her phone, using the speed dial that she hadn't told Castle she had to reach him quickly. "Hey Castle, I'm heading out of the precinct. Want me to grab something for dinner?"

"Chinese?" She could practically see the puppy dog eyes that would be accompanying the slight whine in his voice.

"You know, you don't have to beg, Castle. I didn't ask what you wanted just so I could pop your balloon."

His voice lowered to a whisper. "That wasn't for you, it was for my mother. She's been on a cooking spree and for some reason she is convinced that trending dietary habits are the way to go. It also means an overabundance of tofu."

"Ah. I'll get extra then, to make sure that there are leftovers."

"Detective Beckett: the best partner a writer could have."

She muffled her laugh and pressed the "end" button, climbing into her car to make her way first to Panda Express and then to Castle's apartment.

"So," Kate started, pausing to wrestle a bundle of noodles into a firm grip with her chop sticks, "I have a question for you."

"Shoot." Castle grimaced at his own choice of words, moving rapidly to amend them. "Which is to say, 'continue,' 'have at it,' or, my personal favorite, 'yes, please, ask.'"

"Who is Marianne Christie?" Kate typed the name in on the computer that was hooked up to Castle's smart board, slightly enamored with the technology despite her conviction that the old fashioned whiteboard was the way to go.

Castle's chopsticks fell out of his hand and onto the floor, and the food that was in his mouth almost projected forward with the cough that shook his frame. "Marianne Christie?"

Kate watched him, now more curious than focused on the case. "Yeah. You have a restraining order against her."

"I didn't realize that this case would entail scrutiny of my own history." Castle mumbled somewhat grumpily as he leaned forward slowly to reach for his eating utensils.

She blinked, glaring at him until he noticed her gaze. "You do realize that you broke down that wall when you started looking into my mother's murder, right?"

"Yeah, but… What do you want to know?" He gave up his attempts to regain the chopsticks and leaned back on the couch.

"Is it possible she could be involved in your case?" Kate asked. Castle shot her woeful glances, and finally she picked up his abandoned chopsticks, tossed them in the garbage, and handed him the fork that was on a lonely plate of tofu.

"I was using those!"

"They were dirty, and forks are easier anyways."

"But now all the authenticity of the food has been sucked from the room!" His argument was weak, not that normally they had a strong backbone of logic to them. But it lacked conviction. Which meant he was stalling.

"Castle… tell me about Marianne Christie. Please."

"It's a long story…"

"You're the writer."


End file.
